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Parliament shooting embarasses Indian govt

AM Archive - Friday, 14 December , 2001 00:00:00

Reporter: Edmond Roy

LINDA MOTTRAM: India's Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has pledged to liquidate the armed gunmen responsible for an attack on India's Parliament, which killed 12 people, including the five assailants, and left at least 17 others injured. And speaking on national television, the Prime Minister described the assault as an attack on the entire nation.

The first task, though, is to establish the identity of the attackers, as Edmond Roy reports.

EDMOND ROY: The Indian Parliament is perhaps one of the most heavily guarded institutions in the country. Three rings of security surround the complex, manned by police, para-military and special forces. The gunmen, wearing uniforms normally worn by ministerial bodyguards, drove through the checkpoints in an official-looking white ambassador car with a fake parliamentary sticker, which identifies members of parliament, in place.

They were apparently waved through without being checked. What followed has no parallel in contemporary Indian history. Four of the gunmen were shot dead by security forces. In the process, one of the attackers threw a grenade into an area normally reserved for the Prime Minister's motorcade. The fifth gunman was at large for nearly half an hour, during which time he shot and killed four security personnel.

The incident is a huge embarrassment for the government, which has in recent weeks been speaking of security threats against specific Indian targets, including parliament. Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in a nationwide address, vowed to crush terrorism.

'The attack on parliament', he said, 'was an attack on India itself'. He also promised to liquidate terrorists wherever and whoever they are. That could be difficult. So far the identity of the attackers has not been established, although the finger pointing to its neighbouring Pakistan has begun.

Special Minister of State for Commerce, Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

RAJIV PRATAP RUDY: These are terrorists attacks, and those were suicidal attacks mostly I think they were foreign mercenaries and definitely, but we cannot say that,it has to be the hand from an unfriendly neighbour like Pakistan which is creating so much terrorism which India has been fighting for so long.

EDMOND ROY: But Pakistan was quick to categorically deny any involvement.

PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL: The government of Pakistan has received with shock the news about the attack on the Indian Parliament building in New Delhi by armed intruders, which has resulted in a number of casualties. The government strongly and unequivocally condemns the attack.

EDMOND ROY: Still the doubts remain. Only last month Kashmiri militants conducted a similar attack on the State's parliament killing 40 people in the process. So far five people have been taken in for questioning as Indian officials remain silent about any progress in their investigation.

Security forces around the country remain on alert, as officials question how five gunmen managed to infiltrate the heart of India's democracy.